The Immortal Venerable Used Me and Then Abandoned Me - Chapter 13

Jian Zhu blinked, a drop of water falling from his lashes onto his eyelid. Huai Wang let go of him and said in a low voice, “I asked you a question.”

His mind slowly cleared. “I was lost in my cultivation, unable to pull myself out.”

A soft, mocking huff escaped Huai Wang’s thin lips. “Heh.”

“…” Jian Zhu, the salted fish, felt personally insulted.

The two of them waded out of the water with a splash. Jian Zhu’s discarded outer robes and socks were still piled on the ground. He was dripping wet, his bare feet treading upon the snowy slush; for a moment, it was impossible to tell which was whiter, his skin or the snow.

He lifted the hem of his inner robe and looked at Huai Wang, pushing his luck. “Immortal Venerable, if you please… give me a quick dry.”

Huai Wang shot him a glance.

Jian Zhu prompted, “Just like you did last time.”

Huai Wang took a sharp breath, knit his brows, and threw a wave of spiritual energy toward him. The clothes dried instantly. Jian Zhu comfortably tidied his sleeves and collar, then leaned down to pick up his outer robe and drape it over his shoulders.

“What brings the Immortal Venerable here?”

“This is my pond.” Huai Wang emphasized the middle word pointedly before countering, “Who gave you permission to enter without leave?”

“Didn’t you say you were going to throw me in here to soak for a night?” Jian Zhu replied unhurriedly. “I simply came to accept my punishment voluntarily.”

“The bottom of this pond is no place for you.” Huai Wang’s warning carried a profound undertone. “For a mere Nascent Soul, you certainly managed to stay down there for a long time.”

Jian Zhu replied, “Well, look how that turned out. I nearly had an accident, didn’t I?”

“…”

Realizing that the person before him operated on his own unique logic system, Huai Wang stopped arguing. He turned and descended into the pond himself.

Seeing him begin his cultivation, Jian Zhu tidied his clothes and headed back.

The tall parasol trees cast long, slanting shadows beneath his feet, the light and dark alternating as he walked. He thought back to the brand that had appeared out of thin air in his sea of consciousness; he resolved to find another opportunity to dive to the bottom of the pond and investigate.

________________________________________

After returning, Jian Zhu expected some sort of aftereffects.

Unexpectedly, after a few days, he was still as lively as ever—eating well and sleeping soundly—so he temporarily set the matter aside.

A week had passed since his last lunch date with Jiang Chaoyun. The latter had written the beginning of his “story” and wanted to meet up to “blend ideas.”

Jian Zhu mulled over that phrasing… and felt there was indeed a need for some editorial oversight.

Morning classes ended, and it was nearing noon. Disciples emerged from their respective study halls. Within the Lin Yuan Sect, the corridors intersected and mostly converged at the central Wenxin Pavilion.

When he was still about ten meters away from Wenxin Pavilion, Jian Zhu saw Jiang Chaoyun standing in front of the building, clutching a small notebook.

Several inner disciples from various paths passed by him. Jiang Chaoyun glanced left and right, waving excitedly when his eyes met Jian Zhu’s. “Over here!”

Once they met, they walked together toward the dining hall. Jiang Chaoyun showed Jian Zhu the character settings and background he had drafted. Jian Zhu flipped through a few pages. “Your writing is too bland.”

Jiang Chaoyun was all ears. “How do you think I should change it?”

Jian Zhu said, “When you write about our meeting, you have to write that he fell in love with me at first sight, his soul shaking with shock. In an instant, heaven’s lightning sparked the earth’s fire like an old house catching flame, crackling and popping!”

Jiang Chaoyun was stunned. “Why the crackling and popping? Aren’t you guys in a ‘cloud’ relationship?”

Jian Zhu handed the notebook back. “Fiction originates from life but must rise above it. Who would read it if it were purely realistic?”

Enlightened, Jiang Chaoyun hurriedly took notes. “I stand corrected. What else?”

“Write that we worked at sunrise and rested at sunset, farming the fields together and picking chrysanthemums by the eastern fence. Living the life of a celestial couple.”

“You two farmed your own land?”

Jian Zhu gave him a deep, meaningful look. “Not that kind of farming.”

It took Jiang Chaoyun a second to react, and then he reached enlightenment! With ears turning red, he looked down and added a note: His Daoist companion is as passionate as fire, shameless and bold, knowing nothing of restraint.

________________________________________

The two talked as they walked, passing through the middle gate to the front courtyard.

Just as their discussion reached a fever pitch, they ran straight into Jiang Yin. The latter was walking with several Foundation Establishment classmates. The path was about five feet wide, and as the two sides met on this narrow road, the atmosphere became tense. Enemies meeting is a recipe for bloodshot eyes.

The people beside Jiang Yin seemed to sense the change in the air; they all drifted away slightly and kept quiet.

Jian Zhu was currently in a moment of peak creative inspiration and didn’t want to be interrupted. He tried to walk around him.

Jiang Yin, wary of Jian Zhu’s “Nascent Soul” strength, turned instead to block Jiang Chaoyun. “What kind of messy nonsense is written in that notebook? Let us see as well.”

Jian Zhu glanced at him: …Messy nonsense?

Jiang Chaoyun shielded the notebook behind his back. “Why should I give it to you!”

“Everything in the Jiang family belongs to me. Why can’t I see what a mere branch-family member is writing?” Jiang Yin sneered, reaching out to snatch it.

His hand was swatted away with a sharp smack before it even reached halfway. He let out a cry of pain and pulled his hand back, turning to see Jian Zhu standing there, his carved folding fan making his expression look as pleasant as a spring breeze.

Jiang Yin clutched the back of his hand. “You dare to strike me in private?”

Jian Zhu replied, “It’s not private. I’m doing it quite openly.”

He was occasionally curious: why did this person return to every provocation despite failing every time, becoming even more courageous with every defeat?

Jiang Yin snapped, “What right do you have to lay hands on me!”

“One can tell at a glance that your sense of copyright awareness is weak.”

“…”

The group stood facing each other, the atmosphere thick with an undercurrent of tension. Jiang Yin turned to signal his companions to say something, but they all stood there silently, looking at the sky, the ground, the flowers anywhere but at him.

“You guys…”

Buzz, buzz. Suddenly, two magnetic hums emitted from the communication stone on Jian Zhu’s lapel, interrupting Jiang Yin’s harassment.

The stones worn by inner disciples not only allow contact between peers but also receive sect orders at any time. His spiritual sense swept over it, and a message from the Sect Leader popped up: “Disciples who have received this message, proceed immediately to Wenxin Pavilion.”

Aside from Jian Zhu, no one else present had received it. Jiang Chaoyun was curious. “What are you being called for?”

Jiang Yin seized the opportunity to be sarcastic. “Probably being called for interrogation because he did something shameful, right?”

Before the words had even finished, Senior Brother He ran over from the other side. “Junior Brother, you received it too? Let’s go, we’re heading the same way.”

After speaking, he glanced over at Jiang Yin. Jiang Yin’s back immediately tensed up. “I…”

But Senior Brother He had already looked away, treating him like a piece of roadside weed utterly inconsequential. Jiang Yin’s face turned a mottled shade of blue and red.

Jian Zhu agreed and casually introduced Jiang Chaoyun. “This is Senior Brother He; get acquainted.”

Jiang Chaoyun was a bit stiff. “Oh, hello!”

“What? What’s going on?” Senior Brother He was full of question marks, but before he could figure out the situation, he was pulled away by Jian Zhu.

“Nothing.” Jian Zhu walked quickly toward Wenxin Pavilion. “Just an impromptu meeting of people with shared interests.”

________________________________________

At Wenxin Pavilion, over twenty inner disciples were standing in front of the building.

Jian Zhu looked around; everyone present had decent features and profound cultivation. Several were his classmates, and they looked slightly surprised to see him. “Junior Brother Jian Zhu also received the message?”

Jian Zhu summarized in one sentence: “I came upon hearing the news, yet I’m still in the dark.”

A Senior Sister laughed. “I heard a distinguished guest is visiting tomorrow, so the Sect Leader summoned us ahead of time.”

A Senior Brother beside them was used to it. “Pulling us in to act as the sect’s ‘facade’ again, I suppose?”

Jian Zhu understood. Inner disciples were like bricks; the Sect Leader specifically picked the nice-looking ones to move around.

Senior Brother He said with pride, “Junior Brother Jian Zhu, you were chosen just after joining. It seems the Sect Leader thinks highly of you!”

Jian Zhu praised, “The Sect Leader truly possesses a pair of discerning eyes.”

“…”

The flattery was cut short. Not long after, Sect Leader Wei Yi arrived, with his eldest disciple, Luo Chenyang, following behind him.

The Sect Leader said, “Tomorrow, distinguished guests from the Tianque Sect will arrive. You are all the most elite disciples of our sect; do not let the sect lose face.”

Jian Zhu drifted off into a daydream from the middle-back of the line. A fresh rain had fallen earlier that morning, and stray droplets continued to roll intermittently down the eaves above.

The words “Lin Yuan Saves the World” were carved into the roof tiles, while Sect Leader Wei Yi’s voice droned on, passing by his ears like a persistent murmur.

“Remember to arrive on time tomorrow. Chenyang will arrange the remaining details.”

“Yes, Master.”

With that final instruction, the Sect Leader left the trivial matters to Luo Chenyang and departed.

Luo Chenyang then went over several points of caution—nothing more than the usual “watch your words,” “act with prudence,” and “do not be impolite.” Jian Zhu listened until he grew drowsy, figuring that no one was likely to run up to a distinguished guest and start banging gongs while singing a dirge anyway.

A stick of incense’s time later, the meeting finally adjourned.

Jian Zhu saw that it was nearly time for his afternoon class and turned to call for Senior Brother He so they could walk together.

“Junior Brother Jian Zhu.” Luo Chenyang suddenly stepped out from the crowd. “Off to class?”

Jian Zhu nodded. “Naturally. I am a law-abiding, disciplined student.” He wasn’t sure why Luo Chenyang had called him; aside from their previously failed attempt at “charity,” they didn’t seem to have much in common.

By this point, Senior Brother He had already scurried off with a few other classmates in a suspicious manner, leaving Jian Zhu with no choice but to walk toward the academy alongside Luo Chenyang.

Luo Chenyang gave a gentle smile. “Law-abiding and disciplined? You weren’t even listening to me just now, were you?”

Caught red-handed in his daydreaming, Jian Zhu didn’t show the slightest hint of bashfulness. “Rest easy, Big Senior Brother. My etiquette is etched into my very bones.”

Luo Chenyang let out a hearty laugh. They chatted idly along the way until they reached the academy entrance, where Luo Chenyang came to a halt. “Go on to class, Junior Brother.”

Jian Zhu had originally assumed Luo Chenyang was also going to class. He hadn’t paid much attention to his classmates before, but thinking back, Luo Chenyang indeed never set foot in the schoolroom.

So, this is what it means to be the Head Disciple. The Head Disciple must be different from the rest.

Having attained this realization, he nodded and turned to enter the classroom.

The moment he stepped inside, a group of people “swished” their gazes over to him especially Senior Brother He, whose eyes were as bright and prying as an old hound’s.

“Junior Brother, what did Senior Brother Luo say to you?”

Jian Zhu sat down. “Since you’re so interested, Senior Brother He, why did you run off so fast just now?”

Senior Brother He gave a light cough. “…Ahem.”

Jian Zhu felt helpless. “Senior Brother, stop thinking about these useless things. I’m very worried about your current mental state.”

“Worried about what?”

“Worried that you won’t be able to properly polish a beautiful love story.”

“…???”

________________________________________

Missed lunch, half the energy. Having been delayed for his midday meal, Jian Zhu’s muddled brain didn’t truly clear up until the afternoon.

The Sect Leader’s words, mingled with the light rain dripping from the eaves, pattered in his mind: Tomorrow, distinguished guests from the Tianque Sect are visiting.

Jian Zhu pondered… Isn’t the Tianque Sect the number one sect in Yingzhou?

When he returned to Cang Mountain that evening, he found Huai Wang reading a book next to the vegetable garden.

Cang Mountain was draped in a blanket of mourning white, with only that vegetable patch remaining lush, green, and bursting with life. The emerald seedlings reflected against Huai Wang’s profile; Jian Zhu privately thought it made the man’s complexion look much better.

He walked over. “Distinguished guests from the Tianque Sect are arriving tomorrow. Will the Immortal Venerable be attending?”

Slender fingers turned a page of the bamboo scrolls. Without looking up, Huai Wang replied, “Why should I go?” His tone was so matter-of-fact that Jian Zhu instantly grasped the highest level of “prestige.”

“Tomorrow I have to accompany the Sect Leader to welcome the guests,” Jian Zhu said. “As the top sect in Yingzhou, I wonder what the Tianque Sect is visiting for at a time like this.”

“If there is any news, come back and inform me.”

He didn’t even look up while speaking. Looking at the smooth, lustrous top of Huai Wang’s head, Jian Zhu suddenly didn’t feel like being peaceful anymore.

Besides, Huai Wang didn’t trust him, yet he still wanted to order him around.

Jian Zhu let out a light laugh. “Heh.”

This time Huai Wang did look up, appearing somewhat puzzled. “What?”

Jian Zhu arched an eyebrow and looked down at him—arrogant, provocative, and casual, the kind of look that made people want to take a swing at him. “Why should I tell you?”

Huai Wang suddenly understood how Hui Yu felt: when facing Jian Zhu, it was indeed difficult to resist the urge to get physical. He warned, “Do not forget, you have yet to clear yourself of suspicion.”

Jian Zhu replied airily, “The Immortal Venerable never believed me anyway.”

Having said his piece, he turned to leave, acting so nonchalant that he clearly didn’t care about the world’s most formidable Great Enlightenment stage master.

Huai Wang suppressed his irritation. “Stay where you are.”

With his robes fluttering, Jian Zhu couldn’t stay still; he was the freest gust of wind on this cliffside.

“…” A vein throbbed at Huai Wang’s temple. He stood up abruptly, acting less like an “Immortal Venerable” than ever before. He reached out his noble hand, intending to haul this arrogant person back.

The moment his fingertips reached the back collar, Jian Zhu sensed it and turned his body. His hair slid through the well-defined fingers, and the hair ribbon was caught by the knuckles. Zip— the string slid, and the knot fell.

His ink-black hair spilled out as the silver ribbon unraveled. Huai Wang withdrew his hand, and there, lying in his palm, was that ruined ribbon. The keepsake left behind by Jian Zhu’s “ex-husband.”

The ribbon was cool to the touch, yet it made his palm feel as if it were burning.

Huai Wang froze in place. Jian Zhu had already turned around, his dark hair cascading down his back.

With a look that was half-smiling and half-not, he watched Huai Wang. “What exactly is the Immortal Venerable doing?”